Mackay (pop. 80,455) is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, situated about 590 miles (950 kilometers) north of Brisbane. It stands on the banks of the Pioneer River. More than a third of the sugar produced in Australia comes from the Mackay district. Mackay Harbour has the largest bulk sugar capacity in the world. The largest coal-handling complex in the world, at Hay Point, south of Mackay, loads coal from the Bowen Basin. Tourism is important to Mackay, which serves as a gateway to island resorts on the Great Barrier Reef.
